Review: Shadow And Bone

“I missed you every hour. And you know what the worst part was? It caught me completely by surprise. I'd catch myself just walking around to find you, not for any reason, just out of habit, because I'd seen something that I wanted to tell you about or because I wanted to hear your voice.”

I finished this book weeks ago, and yet my little bookish heart is still confused about it. On one hand, I wanted to love this, I mean it's Leigh Bardugo, I swear by Six of Crows. Then there's the whole Russian inspired setting that always (and I mean it) catches my attention. But I think that in the end, I liked the concept behind the book more than the actual material.

“This was the truth behind the handsome face and the miraculous powers, the truth that was the dead and empty space between the stars, a wasteland peopled by frightened monsters.”

Alina Starkov is an orphan, she has known Mal (her best friend and crush) her entire life, and he is without a doubt the most important person in her life. When an accident occurs it is revealed that she has a very special skill which she had been unknowingly repressing since she was a child. Because of this she is sent to the Little Palace, a place where Grisha (people with abilities such as hers) train as soldiers under the command of a man known as The Darkling. Things happen and then she's running for her life.

As I mentioned before I love Leigh Bardugo's writing, and though I was aware that this, beign the first book she wrote might not have the same quality as her newest work, I was still drawn to it. However though while I was reading it I was very invested in the story, after I finished the book I must admit it felt kind of hollow. Alina's characterization seemed a little flat and while I wanted (I really did) to love Mal, I ended up rooting for The Darkling. No surprise though, the bad guy always gets me (see Holland from A Darker Shade of Magic for example). I wouldn't say it was a disappointement because it wasn't but I'm still debating on reading the next one or not. I guess we'll see.